PREVIEW – Serene Impressions by Jamie Primrose

Serene Impressions by Jamie Primrose

Light-heartedly referring to Serene Impressions as the third in his ‘Edinburgh trilogy’ this year, Jamie Primrose is once again exhibiting in Dundas St Gallery, with a collection of paintings featuring the city’s waterways.

From autumn light filtering through the trees by the Water of Leith; to the icy reflections on a frozen Union Canal: Primrose uses his ability to capture natural light and colour in a painterly selection of small and medium-format canvases.

He was inspired partly by a ‘busman’s holiday’ in Provence earlier this year, where the quality of the French light and landscape inspired him to paint this new collection; and they indeed have a loose but evocative style to them, bringing to mind similarly-themed works by the Impressionists.

As ever, most of Primrose’s works are painted from photographs which he has taken; and he has chosen to depict places like the Colonies in Stockbridge and the old brewery in Fountainbridge before they were altered (by flood protection works and demolition respectively). He explains these pieces therefore have a timeless quality to them, rather than being identifiable as belonging to specific period.

However, all of Primrose’s work has a degree of timelessness to it: even those depicting the modern architecture of the Shore at Leith have – thanks to their impressionistic style and glowing colours – a broad appeal.

Serene Impressions will be the last chance this year to see this sought-after artist’s work on display, and the pictures – like the subjects themselves – trace a shimmering journey across the walls of the Dundas St Gallery in a well-curated and appealing exhibition which runs until Sat 12th November.